Funicular: What Is Truth When the Past Is a Lie?

By: T. F. Lince

Narrated by: Jade McLean

A detective mystery with strange supernatural elements allowing not even the past to be trusted, full of intrigue and mystery, an urban fantasy, a crime thriller that will mess with your mind. Not your run of the mill police procedural.

After his life is threatened, DI Bob Dixon leaves London hoping for the quiet life in the northern village of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. But when he takes on the case of young Lizzy Scraggs, missing since a huge tide hit Saltburn six years earlier, he embarks on an investigation that will push him to the very edge of reason.

Out on the beat, Bob learns the legend of the funicular car that left the top of Saltburn’s famous cliff lift many years ago carrying two passengers, and arrived at the bottom empty save for an abandoned ticket. And every big tide since has seen another local child disappear.

Feeling increasingly manipulated by a shadowy nemesis, Bob struggles to make sense of the seemingly impossible clues before him. How can the dead live again? Who is the tortured man haunting the churchyard in nearby Marske? And with the next massive tide just hours away, can Bob solve the puzzle and bring an end to the tragedy of Saltburn’s missing children?

©2018 T F Lince (P)2019 T F Lince

wierd and wacky

Wierd and wacky but really good. Sort of unusual for my usual read but enjoyable and certaily different. After reading Room 119 by author I was thrilled to get an audible code for review for this book. Good character development and storyline. Very good narration by Jade McLean.

I recommend

I liked it. The narrator was great. The story was unique. I really thought the main character was going crazy and so did he. But then he wasn’t and it all came together. Good story.

Interesting but...

The cast is likeable. The banter, action, and detective work believable.

amazingly this one manages to do time travel without me hating it. When a story just goes in a circle it completely disengages me but this one pulls it off very well with emotional stakes and genuine change.

narration is also done great with various voices, pacing, and awesome moments.

the blending of magic and our reality is also done very well.

so why 3 stars.

Atlantis. The twist about atlantis just felt out of left field. yes there are ley lines and the sea and fishing but so much of the story focuses on proving the existence of the ley lines we don't get much into who uses them or who made them etc. It threw me off because I was going back over it in my brain jusy to see if I'd missed anything that could prove me wrong and I couldn't figure it out. so a twist for the sake of a twist? I'm gladenned by the ending but if you removed atlantis and just kept kidnapping mer it would have worked better.

I really enjoyed this story

This is even better than the last one I read by TF Lince! I enjoyed the story so much, I think I listened to this in 2.5 days - I was intrigued and I didn't want to 'put it down' so to speak 🤪 I'm going to be thinking about it for the rest of the day, I think I might even listen to it again because I think I'll catch more tiny hints now that I know what happens. Very difficult to write a good review and also not have any spoilers!

Totally new story!

This is a book that needs concentration. There are lots of clues and changes that stump the reader. It has an unexpected ending, but an enjoyable story!
Thank you to the author and narrator.